Rib/Chest Pain and Arm Tingling.....Nervous

Als920

Well it's been a little over a year since I was here seeking advice/comfort from all of you when we feared a recurrence with my wife's BC.

Needless to say I'm here again as there are some new symptoms that are concerning us. She was diagnosed with a degenerative disc issue in C6-C7 after every test under the sun in Feb of last year. She just had gallbladder surgery 5 weeks ago and shortly after she started experienceing rib/chest pain in the same area as her lumpectomy 5 years ago. Yesterday her arm was tingling (this happened with the disc issue as well) and the tingling started again this morning. She contacted her RO and they are going to do a 3D mammo tomorrow as well as blood work to see what's going on (if anything). Has anyone had these symptoms and had it end up being nothing to do with C?

Thank you

KBeee

It could be from so many things. Keep us posted. Hoping it is something benign and fixable!

Als920

I'm trying to remember that because the arm tingling was there when her degen disc was diagnosed. Right now it feels like I'm going down that rabbit hole again. Even walking outside I found myself so jealous of our neighbors and their lives that don't seem to have a specter of fear hovering over them.

Anonymous

She she had arm tingling with the disc issue previously, so it's most likely related to that.

But I have to bring up this possibility because of my own experience.

Arm tingling was my main symptoms of brain mets. And she's Her2 as well, which likes the brain.

I really think it's her disc and not her brain but I'd get a brain MRI anyway. I tend to think Her2 ladies should be having routine brain scans at least annually but the medical community disagrees...oh well. BTW, I'm over four months out from my craniotomy and doing really well. Best of luck to you guys!

Fitztwins

It can most definitely be a disk issue.

Als920

That's certainly what we're hoping is the case. She just had the gallbladder surgery 6 weeks ago and our son has been sick for the past 4 days. I'm just praying that the odds are against it simply for the string of bad events lately. Her mammo is in 1 hour so anxiety is high in the house right now as we get the kids ready for school and keeping everything bottled up while we do so. It's their last day before the summer break and hope that we all get to enjoy the first weekend of it as opposed to facing something else. This is the year we had really been waiting for, our youngest would be starting kindergarden so she would have full day school. She has already started a job that she loves and we had just payed off a 401 K loan we took out 5 years ago to pay medical bills from our dual cancer diagnosis 5 years ago.

Als920

She just left for the imaging and blood work. We basically crossed paths as I was getting home from dropping off our daughter and she was getting in her car. She kissed me goodbye and all I could see in her eyes was "Baby, I'm scared". I hate this so much for us and everyone that has to deal with this god awful disease.It's to the all too familiar point of the game where "deals with God" are being made and swearing that if we get through this everything will be different.The kids are too young, if it were just us I could handle this better but the thought of them going through it and having their childhood ripped away just kills me. We don't have family here so the impact to them would be considerable regardless of what we were able to work out. The neighborhood is so full of children and families that the constant reminder that our lives will carry a much different path than all of those simply draws tears.

The last time we went through this it took almost a month to get clarification that it was just a degenerative disc because of the route that has to be taken to get the more advanced imaging approved by insurance. We had to climb the ladder from MRI, to bone scan to CT to PET which took a sizable toll on my wife and I mentally and physically. I'm hoping that is not the case this time and clarification comes early, for the best.

But, it's just a disc issue. Right?

I'm sorry for venting as I know that there are many others in more serious situations.

sandilee

Arm numbness or tingling is very possible with damage to the cervical spine. Any kind of disc issue can press on the nerves, and this seems very likely. It's hard not to worry, but it sounds like you will get some clarity soon. As long as her last MRI (less than 6 months ago?) showed no cancer in her spine when they found the disc issue, I wouldn't worry too much. Good luck!

Als920

Her last MRI, a follow up from the Febrauary one, was almost a year ago in mid July. I'm not sure what the median time is from a clear scan to enough time elapsed for possible met development.

I miss having that knowledge of "you've had every scan under the sun and they found nothing" from this time last year. But I think that the expiration date on that still being a point is either up or very close.

Als920

Just heard from DW. They did a sonogram instead of a 3D mammo after consulting with her RO and found nothing out of the ordinary so that only tells us no new lumps. Still very nervous about the possibility of bone mets.She has a meeting with the RO at 1:30 (CST) today and will find out the lab work results. I'm now worried, as I posted above, that we are headed for another long line of tests that will lead to more stress and anxiety. We are both just pacing and trying to find ways to not think about this. Both of our kids are now home for the day and in the normal, summer's here, frame of mind. All I can do is force a smile and try to be in the moment right now.

Als920

RO says that she has no concerns about this at all, that it is muscular but not cancer!

This is the same area that DW had radiation and she had been gardening as well as just started back to work not that long ago. Labs, markers and US were all fine so we are exhaling.

I know this will not be the last scare and god bless to everyone who is dealing with the stress of waiting and/or not knowing.

KBeee

Sounds like all good news!